Rouchon Industries Inc., d/b/a/ Swiftech today announced the withdrawal from US sales of the H220 CPU cooling kit. On June 7 2013, Rouchon Industries Inc., d/b/a/ Swiftech received a letter from Asetek' s lawyers claiming that the H220 CPU cooler infringes on their US patents 8,240,362 (the '362 patent) and 8,245,764 (the '764 patent) and to cease selling, offering for sale and importing the H220 CPU cooler in the United States. Pending final disposition of this matter, Swiftech immediately placed a hold on shipments of the H220 CPU cooling kits into the USA.

On June 27, 2013 Swiftech's counsel responded to Asetek' s attorney by a letter stating that preliminarily, Swiftech does not believe that the H220 product infringes any valid claim of the '362 and '764 patents. Nonetheless, in an effort to avoid any unnecessary litigation Swiftech also asked whether Asetek would be willing to offer a nonexclusive license for the asserted patents. On July 12, 2013 Swiftech received a response from Asetek' s law firm stating that the company does not offer licenses.

Swiftech continues to firmly assert its position with regards to the alleged infringement as stated in its letter dated June 27, 2013. Nevertheless, in order to avoid litigation the company's management has now made the business decision to withdraw the H220 CPU cooler from the US market. Given these circumstances, Swiftech wants to hereby reassure its US customers that: 1/ it will continue to provide full technical and warranty support for the H220 CPU cooling kits that have been sold in the US, and 2/ the product will continue to be sold in other countries.

Swiftech sincerely apologizes to its US customers for this extraordinary situation, the very first in its long history. For the past 15 years, Swiftech has been at the forefront of technological innovation in this industry, and it will continue to do so. In the words of Gabriel Rouchon, the company's Chairman and CTA: "I want our customers to know and expect with absolute confidence that Swiftech's resourcefulness will once again be brilliantly demonstrated in the immediate future."

Absolute silence without compromising performance is my only benchmark score.

It makes me wonder how anyone can these days even make or invent anything if every friggin thing in this world is already patented and protected in one or another way. It totally sucks. Big stand alone things, fine. But these days, they patent mouse clicking and breathing (almost), so how can you go beyond if they cover even the basics which are almost always needed to achieve something greater?

It makes me wonder how anyone can these days even make or invent anything if every friggin thing in this world is already patented and protected in one or another way. It totally sucks. Big stand alone things, fine. But these days, they patent mouse clicking and breathing (almost), so how can you go beyond if they cover even the basics which are almost always needed to achieve something greater?

Coolermaster have been making AIO coolers for a very long time (not many were very good though). I can't see how they don't hold patents for AIO solutions.
I had an Aquagate viva back in 2007, way before Astek released anything on the market.

Asetek are behaving like patent bullies. There is no way they came up with the idea of AIO coolers.

Asetek has a right to protect its patents and sue if need be. These aftermarket AIO are being made/designed overseas where copyright laws aren't as strict or ignored and then being shipped to US market.

If other regions dis-reguard your claim on a patent why wouldn't you protect it in a region/country where your patent is recognized. Makes perfect sense unless you like loosing money that otherwise would be yours.

Coolermaster have been making AIO coolers for a very long time (not many were very good though). I can't see how they don't hold patents for AIO solutions.
I had an Aquagate viva back in 2007, way before Astek released anything on the market.

Asetek are behaving like patent bullies. There is no way they came up with the idea of AIO coolers.

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The claim Asetek is making has nothing to do with the idea of AIO liquid cooling, their claims are based on the idea of combining the pump and waterblock into one unit. As far as I've seen they were the first to demonstrate and begin the process to patent this idea way back in 2003.

And Asetek has been producing AIO liquid coolers for OEMs since at least 2005. The HP Blackbird was the first real consumer level product to see an AIO unit from Asetek, and it came out in 2007, but they had been doing AOI units for workstation and server class computers for a least 2 years before that.

The claim Asetek is making has nothing to do with the idea of AIO liquid cooling, their claims are based on the idea of combining the pump and waterblock into one unit. As far as I've seen they were the first to demonstrate and begin the process to patent this idea way back in 2003.

And Asetek has been producing AIO liquid coolers for OEMs since at least 2005.

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I am all for patents in some situations. However in this instance I am against it as it stifles competition in this product area (one that has grown rapidly as of late). One thing I found attractive about Swiftech's H220 is the ability to add to the loop (expandability). This is not a feature that I have seen with any other AIO water cooling solutions.
So with Asetek having the patent then we can only rely on them for what they produce (or don't produce).

I am all for patents in some situations. However in this instance I am against it as it stifles competition in this product area (one that has grown rapidly as of late). One thing I found attractive about Swiftech's H220 is the ability to add to the loop (expandability). This is not a feature that I have seen with any other AIO water cooling solutions.
So with Asetek having the patent then we can only rely on them for what they produce (or don't produce).

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As I've said, that is why licensing exists. The system is set up to not allow one company to hold a monopoly. Asetek might refuse licensing at first, but once one(or a few) company(s) actually takes the issue to court Asetek will have to allow licensing at a reasonable cost. If neither party can agree on a reasonable cost then the courts can decide that too.

At this point, no company has to stop producing coolers that Asetek claims infringes on the patents. They can let Asetek take them to court, they would lose, but at the same time they could get the courts to rule that Asetek has to allow licensing. It is just going to take a company to actually do it and not just role over.

In fact, more than likely the other companies Asetek has already sued(like CoolIT) have already settled out of court for some relatively small sum(compared to what they've made on the products so far) as well as a continuing licensing fee. We just haven't heard anything about it because no one really talks about out of court settlements and a lot of times a condition of the settlement is that you don't talk about it. I mean, Asetek sued CoolIT almost a year ago, and we haven't heard anything come of it, likely because they settled out of court a while ago and CoolIT continued on making AIO coolers.

Asetek may be completely in the right under current law, but one could question if the laws might need revision. I don't know enough to say if Asetek is abusing the patent laws but other companies have. It could be even that the real patent trolls are so prevalent that any company using the patent laws seems like a patent troll whether or not they are.

Thinking at the Asetek HQ is: sales dropping we should troll somebody for lost 'profits'.

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Id hardly say sales are dropping a lot of Antec, Corsair - even the AIO that comes with the AMD FX line is made by Asetek (afaik they are even making some TT AIO's though they might deny it, the design is similar)

In the words of Gabriel Rouchon, the company's Chairman and CTA: "I want our customers to know and expect with absolute confidence that Swiftech's resourcefulness will once again be brilliantly demonstrated in the immediate future."

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Seems to me, based on this statement, that Swiftech may already have a plan and would rather spend their money on deploying it rather than feeding lawyers/putting their profits into Asetek's pocket.